1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a notebook portable computer, in particular, a structure for allowing a main unit having a keyboard or a display unit having a display screen to look compact.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multifunctional portable computers are equipped with a multidrive, which is a combination of a CD-ROM drive and a DVD-ROM drive, and a TV tuner. Thereby, one portable computer can not only play back music stored in music CDs and movies stored in DVDs, but also view and record TV programs.
Portable computers of this kind have a large-sized liquid crystal display panel with high image quality and a stereo speaker system with high audio quality. A multidrive and a stereo speaker system are housed in a main unit of such a portable computer. A liquid crystal display panel is housed in a display unit of a portable computer. Therefore, the multifunctional portable computers tend to have a main unit and a display unit which are greater in size than those of standard portable computers. As a result, the multifunctional portable computers can look too large, and causes uncomfortable feeling in respect of appearance.
To deal with this problem, known is a conventional portable computer having an inclined top surface which is located on a top end of a display unit when the display unit is raised such that a display screen of the liquid crystal display panel is opposed to the operator (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,833).
Further, as another example, known is a portable computer in which a corner portion defined by a top surface and a front surface of the main unit is obliquely cut away (for example, refer to U.S. Design Registration No. 368,468).
According to the above U.S. patent, when the display unit is raised, the top surface of the display unit is inclined downward toward the operator. Thereby, the front surface of the display unit, in which the display screen is located, looks smaller.
In the above U.S. patent, although the display unit has a rectangular box shape, only the top surface thereof is inclined. In other words, the left side surface and the right side surface of the display unit remain square to the front surface. Therefore, when the display unit is raised, the width of the front surface of the display unit can look broader. Thus, the effect of making the front surface of the display unit look smaller is insufficient.
In the same manner, also in the above U.S. design, the corner portions defined by the top surface and the left and right side surfaces of the main unit remain right-angled. Therefore, when the display unit is raised to expose the top surface of the main unit, the width of the top surface of the main unit can look broader. Thus, the effect of making the front surface of the main unit look smaller is insufficient.